John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Information:
Ranking: Number six in the U.S. and number 17 in the world, with 49.3 million passengers. Location: Fifteen miles southeast of midtown Manhattan, with limited nearby hotel accommodations. Major Airlines: JFK is the country's main international gateway, served by most transatlantic lines and many transpacific and Latin American lines. Although no line dominates traffic, JFK is JetBlue's major hub, with 38 percent of total traffic, and an increasingly important center for Delta, at 23 percent, and American, at 17 percent. Conspicuously missing is United, whose flights are limited to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington. Layout: The airfield has two sets of parallel runways at differing orientations—a configuration that limits capacity at peak times. Passenger facilities consist of six terminals, with Terminals 2 and 4 consolidated by Delta and the others connected only by the AirTrain people mover, which is free within the airport but is outside of security. A connection requiring a change of terminals is a major hassle. Performance: 76 percent of departures and 74 percent of arrivals are on time, the average departure delay is 67 minutes and arrival delay is 66 minutes, and cancellations are at 2.5 percent. Ground Transportation: For $5, the AirTrain people mover connects each terminal with a subway stop: either the Howard Beach stop, for a connection to the New York City Subway ($2.50), or the Jamaica Station stop, for a connection to the Long Island Rail Road ($7.00). Trains from Jamaica Station also serve Long Island communities to the east. The taxi flat fare to Manhattan is $52 plus tolls. Lots of shuttles operate with service to Manhattan as well as communities in the region; SuperShuttle charges $19 from JFK to Midtown. Alternate Regional Airports: The New York metro area is served by four other airports. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is closer to Manhattan than JFK, but service is limited to short- and medium-haul trips, on which LGA carries more passengers than JFK. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is 15 miles from Midtown, and it's the main New York-area gateway for United, with extensive domestic and international service. Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) is 51 miles east of Midtown and the main New York gateway for Southwest and Allegiant. White Plains' Westchester County Airport (HPN) is 34 miles north of Midtown and provides limited short-haul service to important eastern and midwestern centers. Stewart International Airport (SWF) is 66 miles north of central Manhattan and was taken over by the Port Authority as a possible relief airport for JFK and EWR. However, its distance and lousy access have so far limited flights to regional feeds plus JetBlue flights to Florida.
Mike Summers; March 2011:
New York is a fun, but pricey city to visit. Video about NYC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kBQpkdb92I . We were lucky enough to stay with a friend who lives there. I would recommend booking a hotel before leaving. I really like using Hotwire to book hotels. Here's the Hotwire site: http://www.hotwire.com/newtohotwire/index.jsp . You have to create an account, but it's free. I would not recommend renting a car unless you are not going into the city. Frontier uses Gates B1 and B3 on the B Concourse at LGA. We usually use baggage claim 2. To get into the city, I recommend buying a MetroCard, which can be used on buses and subways. Here's the website for the MTA: http://mta.info/ and Metrocard info: http://mta.info/metrocard/ . As you exit the Frontier baggage claim turn right and walk about 20 yards to where you'll find a MetroCard machine. (MetroCard Machine: http://mta.info/metrocard/mvms/index.htm .) I recommend buying a Pay-per-Ride Card and initially putting $20.00 on it. I used my ATM-Debit Card to pay for the MetroCard, and I asked for a receipt. There are ambassadors wearing red jackets throughout LGA. If you can't find a MetroCard machine, ask them for help. You'll then walk outside from the Machine on the baggage claim level and look for a bus stop showing that the M60 bus or the Q70 bus stops there. (YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwNylgFvgOM of options to Manhattan from LaGuardia). These are the two options to get to Manhattan. The first, but not best option is the M60 bus. Here's the M60 bus timetable: http://mta.info/nyct/bus/schedule/manh/m060cur.pdf . It costs $2.50 from your MetroCard to ride the bus. When you get on the bus there's a machine in front of the driver that takes the MetroCard (and a diagram showing how), and then it kicks it back out after deducting your fare. Take the card and put it away. It's an interesting ride, and it will take about an hour to get to the Subway (if you choose this route). It takes you through part of Queens until you cross the East River into northern Manhatten and into Harlem along 125th Avenue. If you sit along the left side of the bus, you'll see the Apollo Theatre (website: http://www.apollotheater.org/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Theater ), but I would recommend staying on the bus until you reach Broadway and 116th or Broadway and 110th (Cathedral Parkway). This is a good neighborhood that includes Columbia University. There are subway stops at both of the previous noted intersections that you can take to your hotel. When you book a hotel, call or ask where the nearest subway stop is located along with the lines that service it. That will help you to proceed once you're at a subway station. Ask for a Subway map once you walk into the station. Here's a map to get you started: http://mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm . These stations at 116th and 110th and Broadway are on the Red 1 Line. You'll want to ride "downtown". You'll slide your MetroCard along a 'reader' as you enter the part of the station that leads to the platform that you want. You won't need the card to leave a station. The second and better option is to take the Q70 bus. You can also get into the City from Laguardia by taking the Q70 bus to 74th St-Roosevelt Ave (Jackson Heights) and riding the subway Purple 7 line or the Green E line (Timetable for Q70: http://web.mta.info/busco/schedules/q070cur.pdf ). This route doesn't require as long of a bus ride as the M60 route described above. Plus, the Purple 7 takes you straight into midtown Manhattan and stops at Grand Central Station and Times Square where you can connect to a north-south subway and head uptown or downtown. This is my preferred route. The Green E line takes you a little farther north in the city along 53rd Street. The MetroCard works for these routes and the subway. Many people have roller bags on the subway -- just keep them close. You can check on the amount left on your MetroCard at any station. Remember that each ride is $2.50, but transfers are included. (Video for NYC Subway usage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lTERtXHIVY ). Here's a YouTube video of the M60 bus heading back to LaGuardia Airport from 106th and Broadway: (YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKWAbDclbKM ). As far as sights to visit, there are too many to list, but I'll try. I would visit Times Square at night. It's at 42nd and Broadway (Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square ). You can walk from there down to Madison Square Garden (Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_Square_Garden ) which is about a ten block walk south on 8th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets. From there you can walk east to 5th Avenue along 34th Street to the Empire State Building (Websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Building and http://esbnyc.com/ ). I think the view is much better at night from the top. Another fun spot is to visit the Today show at Rockefeller Plaza (Websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockefeller_Center and http://www.rockefellercenter.com/ ). Rockefeller Plaza is near 48th and 49th Streets an 5th and 6th Avenues. We did the NBC tour that takes you to sets of shows like Saturday Night Live (Website: http://www.rockefellercenter.com/tour-and-explore/nbc-studios/ ). Radio City Music Hall is in the same area. Here's the website: http://www.radiocity.com/ . You should also walk through Grand Central Station (Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Central_Station ) which is on 42nd Street and Park Avenue where many movie scenes are filmed. I would also recommend walking through Central Park on a sunny day which takes about 2 1/2 hours from the north to the south (Website: http://www.centralparknyc.org/) ends. It's not too far from Rockefeller Plaza. Central Park Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rRSF3a7bEw . There are numerous museums along its eastern edge. Other sites to visit closer to downtown are: Wall Street (Website: http://www.bigapplevisitorscenter.com/piwall.htm ), Ground Zero (Websites: http://www.national911memorial.org/site/PageServer?pagename=New_Home and http://www.inetours.com/New_York/Pages/Ground_Zero.html ), the Brooklyn Bridge (Website: http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/bbridge/bbridge.html ), the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (Websites: http://statuecruises.com/ and http://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm ). The http://statuecruises.com/ website includes how you can visit the inside of the statue and look out from the crown. You have to book that a day before your visit to the statue. For a great place near the Brooklyn Bridge, head over to the South Street Seaport (Websites: http://www.southstreetseaport.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Street_Seaport ) where there are many shops and museums. As far as food, there are many places too numerous to mention, but any place in Little Italy (websites: http://www.littleitalynyc.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Italy,_Manhattan) like Amici II is great. North on Mulberry Street from Amici II is my favorite coffee shop that also serves great sandwiches -- The Grey Dog Coffee (Website: http://www.thegreydog.com/ ) at 244 Mulberry Street. If you ate Italian down the street, just go to the Grey Dog for dessert and coffee (refills are free!). Some nice Deli's include: Katz's Deli (Websites: http://www.katzdeli.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katz%27s_Delicatessen ) where several movie scenes like the fake orgasm by Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Salley were filmed. Another Deli is the Stage Deli (Websites: http://www.stagedeli.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_Deli ) near Carnegie Hall. We ate at Tom's Restaurant (cash only) where many Seinfeld Scenes were located (Websites: http://tomsrestaurant.net/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom%27s_Restaurant ). One of my favorite bars in the world is McSorley's (Websites: http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McSorley%27s_Old_Ale_House ) where your only beer choices are 'dark or 'light' (I prefer the dark) and payment is in cash only. Another good pub is PJ Carney's (Website: http://www.pjcarneys.com/ ). Again, you'll easily find a good place to eat in New York, but never, never visit any of the huindreds of TGI Friday's (You can do that anywhere) in New York. If you want to go to a Broadway play, I recommend the process called "Broadway Rush". Here's a link that explains the process: http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/82428-Broadway-Rush-Lottery-and-Standing-Room-Only-Policies . As you read this link, you'll see that we can attend plays that have a "Lottery Rush" or a "General Rush" (unless you also happen to have a Student ID). It's a really neat method to see plays for a fraction of the price, but it is a lottery method, and each theatre has it's specific set-up that you have to follow. I enrolled in Playbill to get the most current information about Broadway shows. Here's the link for Playbill: http://www.playbill.com/ . Along the bottom right side of their website under "Insider Info" is a link to Rush current Broadway and Off-Broadway Plays. I hope you get a chance to visit New York, and see the Big Apple. here's a YouTube video on how to get back to LaGuardia Airport: (YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD-z0cjygWw ).
Enjoy!
Mike Summers Mike Summers - March 2012:
If you fly into New York's JFK Airport by way of JetBlue, I have attached your travel options from JFK Airport into the city. Here's the website: http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk-ground-transportation.html and http://www.panynj.gov/airports/pdf/jfk-airtrain-brochure-english.pdf . Simply, if you want to go to lower Manhatten (Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Wall Street, or Madison Square Garden, you take the AirTrain Green Line from the terminal to Howard Beach Station ($5.00), then you'll take the MTA (NY Subway) A Train into the City. Cost is $2.50. If you want to go to mid-town Manhatten (Times Square, Central Park), you take the AirTrain Orange/Red Line from the terminal to Jamaica Station ($5.00), then you'll take the MTA (NY Subway) E Train into the City. Cost is $2.50. If you just ride the AirTrain at the airport between terminals, it is free. Here's information for the MTA (Subway): http://mta.info/ and http://mta.info/mta/airtrain.htm . You psy both fees ($5.00 and $2.50) before you exit Airtrain and get on the subway at either Howard Beach or Jamaica Stations (I prefer Jamaica Station). You'll want a map to get around (Website: http://mta.info/maps/ ). NYC is a great place to visit. Check out the information above for fun places! Mike Summers - July 2012:
Just returned from another NYC trip. We visited the Ground Zero Memorial (Website: http://www.911memorial.org/ ) that is very sobering and very well done. If you don't order passs ahead of time, there is a table sitting outside in front of the temporary Visitor Center at 90 West Street where they give some non reserved tickets away each day. We showed up at 4:00 PM and got timed tickets for the 6:00 PM admission time (Free). Visitor's Center information: http://www.911memorial.org/visitor-center . I highly recommemnd it. Also don't forget to visit the Grey Dog for coffee (Website: http://www.thegreydog.com/location-hours/ ) There are three locations, each with great food! For beer, head over to Pier 59 and the Chelsea Brewing Company (Website: http://www.chelseabrewingco.com/rest.htm ). The location is stunning with a two-story glass wall overlooking the Hudson River and 100 outdoor seats. Mike Summers - March 2013:
Visited New York for a long weekend. We headed back to the South Street Seaport (Websites: http://www.southstreetseaport.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Street_Seaport ) area and were surprised to see the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy was still quite evident. This historic pedestrian district in lower Manhattan has unparalleled views of the Brooklyn Bridge. The best place for pizza in New York has to be the nearly 80 year old Patsy's Pizza (Website: http://thepatsyspizza.com/ ) in east or Spanish Harlem. If you want live music, try Le Poisson Rouge (Website: http://www.lepoissonrouge.com/ ) in the west Village at 158 Bleecker Street. For a different experience, try sitting in the lobby of the Ace Hotel between Broadway and Fifth Avenue on 29th Street (Website: http://www.acehotel.com/newyork ). The place is like an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel - not in terms of the decade, because this isn't quite the 20s, but more in the overly embellished-ness of this place, the superficial-but-not-superficial niceness of the bartenders and baristas, and the warm anonymity you feel sitting here surrounded by warm colors and soft light. It's a bar crowd by night and a coffee house in the morning. We are going to consider staying here the next time that we're in town. Another nice bar is the Scratcher Café at 209 E. 5th Street (not Avenue) in the Bowery District. We enjoyed the Happy Hour which is on Mondays through Saturdays from 4pm-8pm with $2 off drafts and well drinks and Sundays 4pm-7pm with $2 off drafts and well drinks. For a quick fix, head to the Magnolia Bakery (Four locations - Website: http://www.magnoliabakery.com/ ) for a memorable sugar high (It was featured in HBO's Sex in the City). Try visiting Rockefeller Center and being seen on the Today Show. In addition you can take an NBC tour and see the set of Saturday Night Live (Websites: http://www.rockefellercenter.com/ and http://www.nbcstudiotour.com/ ). We found a nice roof-top bar, which is located at the 6 Columbus Hotel (Website: http://www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/nyc/6-columbus ). The hotel is at 6 Columbus Circle (aka 308 West 58th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenue)). The rooftop bar is called Above 6. Above 6 is located at the top of 6 Columbus Hotel. It features a retractable roof, which allows patrons to imbibe in any weather. The sky-high perch makes an ideal setting for casual après, including work cocktails, private sunset events, and socializing between sight‐seeing excursions. Hours are Monday-Saturday 5pm-Midnight.
Finally, pay a visit to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Some really neat and really weird pieces of art can be seen (Website: http://www.moma.org/ ).
Mike Summers - May 2013:
For this trip to the city, we visited the Greenwich Village area (Websites: http://www.nycgv.com/ or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_Village ). Walking along Bleecker Street in the late afternoon through late night takes you along many interesting establishments. We visited the Art Bar at 52 8th Avenue. They have an inexpensive Happy Hour. You can sit in front near the bar, or pass behind the black curtain along the back wall and sit in some overstuffed sofas in the back room (Website: http://www.artbar.com/ ) . Great atmosphere. Our next stop was the Corner Bistro (Website: http://cornerbistrony.com/ ) at the corner of Jane and W 4th St. Grab a McSorley Dark Ale and a hamburger (cash-only here!). Our next stop was the Cubbyhole (Website: http://www.cubbyholebar.com/Cubbyhole/Home.html ) at 211 12th St., which is the best lesbian bar that I've ever visited. They have a good happy hour, but this is another cash-only place. We met a lot of friendly women on our visit. Heading east we stopped at the Spotted Pig at 314 W 11th Street (Website: http://thespottedpig.com/ ). We sat at the downstairs bar, but there is a second bar upstairs. They have a unique bar menu with some hard-to-find items. The Bronx Ale was very good. For a late-night snack, we stopped at Amy's Bread at 250 Bleecker Street at Leroy St. for some yummy black olive bread (Website: http://www.amysbread.com/ ). Around the corner at 7 Carmine Street is Joe's Pizza (Website; http://joespizzanyc.com/ ). There are hundreds of other establishments in the area. No secret bar in the city is as renowned as PDT.
An acronym for Please Don't Tell, this East Village legend is accessed via a phone booth in a hot dog joint called Crif Dogs (Website: http://www.crifdogs.com/about ). More: http://nymag.com/listings/bar/pdt/
Visit the Village and post your own experiences!
Enjoy! Mike Summers - August 2014:
Recently traveled JetBlue to JFK and learned out Frontier badges earn a 20% disount or food and items at the terminal. During thid trip we toured Lincoln Center, the concert hall for the Met Opera and the NY Phil. Great tours also tour of Carnegie Hall is worthwhile. See the holiday deorations and lights along 5th avenue. Also learned iy you are over 65 take your Medcaid card and by showing it to the personworking in the office at most subway stops you can get senior fares for 1/2 price.
Mike Summers - May 2015
It was time for my wife and I to head back to New York for a long weekend. We stayed at the Lexington Hotel that we booked through Hotwire at $139.00 per night + taxes. Great location in the mid east side at Lexington Avenue and 48th Street. It was three blocks from Grand Central Station and from the Lexington and 51st Street Stop on the E Train from LaGuardia. If you haven't been to New York and want to take the Subway to the city (by far the cheapest option -- read my March 2011 blog above for information (MTA Subway Map: http://www.nysubway.com/map/ )). You should also download the NYC Subway app to your cellphone for easy, quick references during your stay. The Lexington is a comfortable hotel (Website: http://www.lexingtonhotelnyc.com/ ). Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe lived here when the got married. While filming the Seven Year Itch, the footage of Monroe's dress billowing over a subway grate was shot on location outside the Trans-Lux 52nd Street Theater, then located at 586 Lexington Avenue near where they lived. On this trip we visited the newly opened Whitney Museum in the Village/Meatpacking District on the lower west side(Websites: http://whitney.org/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Museum_of_American_Art ). The Museum's new location is adjacent to the High Line Park which is built on abandoned railroad tracks three stories above street level (High Line Websites: http://www.thehighline.org/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Line_(New_York_City) ). We visited several nice, somewhat historical bars during our stay. The oldest bar in New York is the Fraunces Tavern (www.frauncestavern.com), on Pearl Street in lower Manhattan; it is housed in a building first erected as a residence in 1719. In 1762, Samuel Fraunces, the property’s third owner, converted it into a tavern. The tavern hosted a farewell dinner in 1783 for George Washington as he said farewell to his Continental Army officers. The bar’s current incarnation features several rooms, including an Irish whiskey bar and a restaurant. The second oldest bar is the Ear Inn (www.earinn.com) on Spring Street in lower Manhattan in the Village opened for business in 1817 as a tavern. It is located inside the James Brown House (www.jamesbrownhouse.com), which was built in 1812 and is one of the few current examples of Federal architecture in New York City. The bar serves food and occasionally features live entertainment. The third oldest is the
Bridge Café (www.bridgecafenyc.com) which was originally a home to a brothel, and the property, built in 1794, was converted into a bar in 1847. The Café is located in the South Street Seaport at the tip of Manhattan just south of the Brooklyn Bridge. Rumored to be haunted by a female ghost, this nautical-themed restaurant/bar has a full gourmet menu and a wide selection of wine, scotch and beer. It was closed due to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy when we visited. McSorley’s Ale House (www.mcsorleysnewyork.com) at number four has served its signature light and dark ale since 1854. The bar was an old boys club until 1970, when a court order allowed females to enter the establishment for the first time. McSorley’s patrons read like a Who’s Who of 20th century icons, including Babe Ruth, Teddy Roosevelt and John Lennon. It's a cash only establishment. And at number five is
Pete’s Tavern (www.petestavern.com), in the Gramercy neighborhood, opened in 1864. Author O. Henry wrote his famous story "The Gift of the Magi" here at a booth set against the red brick wall. They serve good food for lunch or dinner. The wide selections of brews include Pete’s own 1864 ale. Nearby Pete's is the Gramercy park Neighborhood (Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramercy_Park ) and Theodore Roosevelt's Birthplace Museum (Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt_Birthplace_National_Historic_Site ). From this area head to Little Italy (Website: http://www.littleitalynyc.com/ ), which is home to the oldest Pizzeria in the US, Lombardi's. American pizza in general, and New York in particular, owes a lot to Lombardi's Pizza, first opened in 1905 in Little Italy, Manhattan. Gennaro Lombardi was granted the first mercantile license to sell pizza in New York. Lombardi's (Website: http://firstpizza.com/ ) is credited with the revolutionary use of the coal oven, and set the standard for selling pizza by the pie rather than the slice. Just around the corner is the third oldest pizzeria in the US, John's (Website: http://www.johnsbrickovenpizza.com/ ) . John Sasso, an immigrant from Naples and another pizza maker for Lombardi's on Spring Street, sprang for his own coal-oven pizza place in 1929. John's became a pizza mecca in its own right, though it kept the tradition of no slices, and it's still cash only. John's stayed open through the Great Depression, and hasn't slowed since. That security comes from a combination of factors: reputation, star power (Danny Devito and Vanilla Ice are just two of the celebrities with their pictures on the wall), good prices (You and I come here and can eat and drink for less than $20.00) and a classic pie that can only come from a well-made 800-degree brick oven. The oldest and best steakhouse in the country is Keens (Website: http://www.keens.com/ ) and their famous muttonchops. Check the website before going to get a feel for prices! Enjoy NYC! Mike Summers - April 2017:
We returned to New York after a year absence. LaGuardia is under construction, and the bus system is a bit different. When I talked to a police officer he said that the public transportation process seems to change every month. So, double-check the MTA Website regarding LaGuardia before landing there (Website: http://laguardiaairport.com/getting-to-from/by-public-transit/ ). Your first stop is to find the MTA Metrocard Vending Machine. We were staying four days. For $33.00, we got the seven-day unlimited pass, which is a great deal. We used our debit card, but you can use cash. From there we walked over to the Q70 bus stop, which was one island out from the Departure Level sidewalk near the B Gates exterior door (Q70 Website: http://web.mta.info/mta/planning/sbs/Q70SBS.html ). Once you arrive on that island where M60, Q47, Q48, Q72, and your Q70 buses pick-up passengers, look for about four machines where you insert your newly purchased Metrocard. The machine will print a receipt and return your Metrocard. Hold up the receipt for the driver when you board the bus. You'll take the bus to the Jackson Heights subway station. Depending on your hotel location, you'll use your Metrocard to enter the subway station. We like to stay at hotels along Midtown East. This trip we stayed at the Marriott Midtown East on Lexington Avenue. We used Hotwire about two weeks before our trip to book it at $129.00 per night (Marriott Midtown East Website: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nycea-new-york-marriott-east-side/ ) at 525 Lexington Avenue at 49th Street. To get there we took the E train from Jackson Heights Station to 51st Street Station and walked two blocks to our hotel (MTA Subway Map: http://web.mta.info/maps/submap.html ). For dinner we went to Draught 55 about 9 blocks from our hotel (Draught 55 Website: http://www.draught55.com/ ). Try to get a table at the back bar, which is under an all-weather glass awning. Great Beer choices, nice wine choices, and good food (especially the variety of French fries) are found here. The noise level can be a bit high, but it's a popular place. After dinner we rode the 6 Train Subway to the upper east side to the 86th Street Station (and Lexington Ave). We walked three blocks to Brandy's Piano Bar (Website: http://brandyspianobar.com/ ). Great music, happy locals, no cover, and an intimate setting await you. You have to buy two drinks per set. We were asked how we found this place because "tourists don't know about this gem". We started talking to a local couple who invited us to their flat for wine afterwards. We accepted, and we had a great time. Near our hotel, we had two great breakfast options and we chose both on different mornings. The Morning Star Café was a four block walk on Second Avenue and 50th Street (Website: http://morningstaronsecond.com/ ). It had the feel of a nice Midwestern diner. Solid food, good coffee, and friendly service made this a great choice. On our third morning we tried a different Restaurant that was right across the street from the Morning Star Café called The Smith. The Smith (Website: http://thesmithrestaurant.com/location/midtown/ ) is a bit more expensive, but we went for Sunday brunch and completely enjoyed it. Breakfast is a relatively cheap meal in NYC. As an aside, the Horny Ram located near the Morning Star Café is a nice bar that also serves Sunday brunch (Horny Ram Yelp Website: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-horny-ram-new-york-2 ) and has a nice upstairs deck that looks out on Second Avenue. We went for late-night drinks one evening. As for the rest of the trip, we visited many of our hold haunts mentioned above in March 2011, March 2013, May 2013, and May 2015. We also took a trip into Brooklyn. We tried two restaurants. Grimaldi's Pizza is an iconic Brooklyn locale (cash only) located underneath the Brooklyn Bridge at 1 Front Street (Website: http://www.grimaldis-pizza.com/home ). It's a perfect stop after walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Our second Brooklyn Restaurant was Peter Lugar Steakhouse. They accept cash & debit cards, but not credit cards (Website: https://peterluger.com/ ) and (Lunch Menu: https://peterluger.com/menu/ ). On this trip we visited the 9-11 Memorial and Museum (Website: https://www.911memorial.org/ ). The Museum is very well done. I'd recommend setting aside 2 to 3 hours to visit. New York City is near the top of my list of cities to visit and keep revisiting. When it's time to fly home, Take the Subway to the Jackson heights Station, look for the Q70 bus platform, insert your Metrocard in one of the machines at the bus platform to print your receipt for the driver, and take the bus back to LaGuardia. Don't be intimidated by public transportation in NYC, it's the easiest and cheapest method to move around in the city.
Enjoy!
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New York Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/New_York_(city)
New York Downtown Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/New_York_(city)/Downtown
New York Central Park Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/New_York_(city)/Central_Park
Bronx Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/New_York_(city)/Bronx
Brooklyn Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/New_York_(city)/Brooklyn
Greenwich Village Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Greenwich_Village
Queens Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Queens,_NY
Long Island Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Long_Island
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Information:
Ranking: Number six in the U.S. and number 17 in the world, with 49.3 million passengers.
Location: Fifteen miles southeast of midtown Manhattan, with limited nearby hotel accommodations.
Major Airlines: JFK is the country's main international gateway, served by most transatlantic lines and many transpacific and Latin American lines. Although no line dominates traffic, JFK is JetBlue's major hub, with 38 percent of total traffic, and an increasingly important center for Delta, at 23 percent, and American, at 17 percent. Conspicuously missing is United, whose flights are limited to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington.
Layout: The airfield has two sets of parallel runways at differing orientations—a configuration that limits capacity at peak times. Passenger facilities consist of six terminals, with Terminals 2 and 4 consolidated by Delta and the others connected only by the AirTrain people mover, which is free within the airport but is outside of security. A connection requiring a change of terminals is a major hassle.
Performance: 76 percent of departures and 74 percent of arrivals are on time, the average departure delay is 67 minutes and arrival delay is 66 minutes, and cancellations are at 2.5 percent.
Ground Transportation: For $5, the AirTrain people mover connects each terminal with a subway stop: either the Howard Beach stop, for a connection to the New York City Subway ($2.50), or the Jamaica Station stop, for a connection to the Long Island Rail Road ($7.00). Trains from Jamaica Station also serve Long Island communities to the east. The taxi flat fare to Manhattan is $52 plus tolls. Lots of shuttles operate with service to Manhattan as well as communities in the region; SuperShuttle charges $19 from JFK to Midtown.
Alternate Regional Airports: The New York metro area is served by four other airports. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is closer to Manhattan than JFK, but service is limited to short- and medium-haul trips, on which LGA carries more passengers than JFK. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is 15 miles from Midtown, and it's the main New York-area gateway for United, with extensive domestic and international service. Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) is 51 miles east of Midtown and the main New York gateway for Southwest and Allegiant. White Plains' Westchester County Airport (HPN) is 34 miles north of Midtown and provides limited short-haul service to important eastern and midwestern centers. Stewart International Airport (SWF) is 66 miles north of central Manhattan and was taken over by the Port Authority as a possible relief airport for JFK and EWR. However, its distance and lousy access have so far limited flights to regional feeds plus JetBlue flights to Florida.
Mike Summers; March 2011:
New York is a fun, but pricey city to visit. Video about NYC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kBQpkdb92I . We were lucky enough to stay with a friend who lives there. I would recommend booking a hotel before leaving. I really like using Hotwire to book hotels. Here's the Hotwire site: http://www.hotwire.com/newtohotwire/index.jsp . You have to create an account, but it's free. I would not recommend renting a car unless you are not going into the city. Frontier uses Gates B1 and B3 on the B Concourse at LGA. We usually use baggage claim 2. To get into the city, I recommend buying a MetroCard, which can be used on buses and subways. Here's the website for the MTA: http://mta.info/ and Metrocard info: http://mta.info/metrocard/ . As you exit the Frontier baggage claim turn right and walk about 20 yards to where you'll find a MetroCard machine. (MetroCard Machine: http://mta.info/metrocard/mvms/index.htm .) I recommend buying a Pay-per-Ride Card and initially putting $20.00 on it. I used my ATM-Debit Card to pay for the MetroCard, and I asked for a receipt. There are ambassadors wearing red jackets throughout LGA. If you can't find a MetroCard machine, ask them for help. You'll then walk outside from the Machine on the baggage claim level and look for a bus stop showing that the M60 bus or the Q70 bus stops there. (YouTube Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwNylgFvgOM of options to Manhattan from LaGuardia). These are the two options to get to Manhattan. The first, but not best option is the M60 bus. Here's the M60 bus timetable: http://mta.info/nyct/bus/schedule/manh/m060cur.pdf . It costs $2.50 from your MetroCard to ride the bus. When you get on the bus there's a machine in front of the driver that takes the MetroCard (and a diagram showing how), and then it kicks it back out after deducting your fare. Take the card and put it away. It's an interesting ride, and it will take about an hour to get to the Subway (if you choose this route). It takes you through part of Queens until you cross the East River into northern Manhatten and into Harlem along 125th Avenue. If you sit along the left side of the bus, you'll see the Apollo Theatre (website: http://www.apollotheater.org/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Theater ), but I would recommend staying on the bus until you reach Broadway and 116th or Broadway and 110th (Cathedral Parkway). This is a good neighborhood that includes Columbia University. There are subway stops at both of the previous noted intersections that you can take to your hotel. When you book a hotel, call or ask where the nearest subway stop is located along with the lines that service it. That will help you to proceed once you're at a subway station. Ask for a Subway map once you walk into the station. Here's a map to get you started: http://mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm . These stations at 116th and 110th and Broadway are on the Red 1 Line. You'll want to ride "downtown". You'll slide your MetroCard along a 'reader' as you enter the part of the station that leads to the platform that you want. You won't need the card to leave a station. The second and better option is to take the Q70 bus. You can also get into the City from Laguardia by taking the Q70 bus to 74th St-Roosevelt Ave (Jackson Heights) and riding the subway Purple 7 line or the Green E line (Timetable for Q70:
http://web.mta.info/busco/schedules/q070cur.pdf ). This route doesn't require as long of a bus ride as the M60 route described above. Plus, the Purple 7 takes you straight into midtown Manhattan and stops at Grand Central Station and Times Square where you can connect to a north-south subway and head uptown or downtown. This is my preferred route. The Green E line takes you a little farther north in the city along 53rd Street. The MetroCard works for these routes and the subway. Many people have roller bags on the subway -- just keep them close. You can check on the amount left on your MetroCard at any station. Remember that each ride is $2.50, but transfers are included. (Video for NYC Subway usage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lTERtXHIVY ). Here's a YouTube video of the M60 bus heading back to LaGuardia Airport from 106th and Broadway: (YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKWAbDclbKM ). As far as sights to visit, there are too many to list, but I'll try. I would visit Times Square at night. It's at 42nd and Broadway (Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square ). You can walk from there down to Madison Square Garden (Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_Square_Garden ) which is about a ten block walk south on 8th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets. From there you can walk east to 5th Avenue along 34th Street to the Empire State Building (Websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Building and http://esbnyc.com/ ). I think the view is much better at night from the top. Another fun spot is to visit the Today show at Rockefeller Plaza (Websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockefeller_Center and http://www.rockefellercenter.com/ ). Rockefeller Plaza is near 48th and 49th Streets an 5th and 6th Avenues. We did the NBC tour that takes you to sets of shows like Saturday Night Live (Website: http://www.rockefellercenter.com/tour-and-explore/nbc-studios/ ). Radio City Music Hall is in the same area. Here's the website: http://www.radiocity.com/ . You should also walk through Grand Central Station (Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Central_Station ) which is on 42nd Street and Park Avenue where many movie scenes are filmed. I would also recommend walking through Central Park on a sunny day which takes about 2 1/2 hours from the north to the south (Website: http://www.centralparknyc.org/) ends. It's not too far from Rockefeller Plaza. Central Park Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rRSF3a7bEw . There are numerous museums along its eastern edge. Other sites to visit closer to downtown are: Wall Street (Website: http://www.bigapplevisitorscenter.com/piwall.htm ), Ground Zero (Websites: http://www.national911memorial.org/site/PageServer?pagename=New_Home and http://www.inetours.com/New_York/Pages/Ground_Zero.html ), the Brooklyn Bridge (Website: http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/bbridge/bbridge.html ), the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (Websites: http://statuecruises.com/ and http://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm ). The http://statuecruises.com/ website includes how you can visit the inside of the statue and look out from the crown. You have to book that a day before your visit to the statue. For a great place near the Brooklyn Bridge, head over to the South Street Seaport (Websites: http://www.southstreetseaport.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Street_Seaport ) where there are many shops and museums. As far as food, there are many places too numerous to mention, but any place in Little Italy (websites: http://www.littleitalynyc.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Italy,_Manhattan) like Amici II is great. North on Mulberry Street from Amici II is my favorite coffee shop that also serves great sandwiches -- The Grey Dog Coffee (Website: http://www.thegreydog.com/ ) at 244 Mulberry Street. If you ate Italian down the street, just go to the Grey Dog for dessert and coffee (refills are free!). Some nice Deli's include: Katz's Deli (Websites: http://www.katzdeli.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katz%27s_Delicatessen ) where several movie scenes like the fake orgasm by Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Salley were filmed. Another Deli is the Stage Deli (Websites: http://www.stagedeli.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_Deli ) near Carnegie Hall. We ate at Tom's Restaurant (cash only) where many Seinfeld Scenes were located (Websites: http://tomsrestaurant.net/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom%27s_Restaurant ). One of my favorite bars in the world is McSorley's (Websites: http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McSorley%27s_Old_Ale_House ) where your only beer choices are 'dark or 'light' (I prefer the dark) and payment is in cash only. Another good pub is PJ Carney's (Website: http://www.pjcarneys.com/ ). Again, you'll easily find a good place to eat in New York, but never, never visit any of the huindreds of TGI Friday's (You can do that anywhere) in New York. If you want to go to a Broadway play, I recommend the process called "Broadway Rush". Here's a link that explains the process: http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/82428-Broadway-Rush-Lottery-and-Standing-Room-Only-Policies . As you read this link, you'll see that we can attend plays that have a "Lottery Rush" or a "General Rush" (unless you also happen to have a Student ID). It's a really neat method to see plays for a fraction of the price, but it is a lottery method, and each theatre has it's specific set-up that you have to follow. I enrolled in Playbill to get the most current information about Broadway shows. Here's the link for Playbill: http://www.playbill.com/ . Along the bottom right side of their website under "Insider Info" is a link to Rush current Broadway and Off-Broadway Plays. I hope you get a chance to visit New York, and see the Big Apple. here's a YouTube video on how to get back to LaGuardia Airport: (YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD-z0cjygWw ).
Enjoy!
Mike Summers
Mike Summers - March 2012:
If you fly into New York's JFK Airport by way of JetBlue, I have attached your travel options from JFK Airport into the city. Here's the website:
http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk-ground-transportation.html and http://www.panynj.gov/airports/pdf/jfk-airtrain-brochure-english.pdf . Simply, if you want to go to lower Manhatten (Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Wall Street, or Madison Square Garden, you take the AirTrain Green Line from the terminal to Howard Beach Station ($5.00), then you'll take the MTA (NY Subway) A Train into the City. Cost is $2.50. If you want to go to mid-town Manhatten (Times Square, Central Park), you take the AirTrain Orange/Red Line from the terminal to Jamaica Station ($5.00), then you'll take the MTA (NY Subway) E Train into the City. Cost is $2.50. If you just ride the AirTrain at the airport between terminals, it is free. Here's information for the MTA (Subway): http://mta.info/ and http://mta.info/mta/airtrain.htm . You psy both fees ($5.00 and $2.50) before you exit Airtrain and get on the subway at either Howard Beach or Jamaica Stations (I prefer Jamaica Station). You'll want a map to get around (Website: http://mta.info/maps/ ). NYC is a great place to visit. Check out the information above for fun places!
Mike Summers - July 2012:
Just returned from another NYC trip. We visited the Ground Zero Memorial (Website: http://www.911memorial.org/ ) that is very sobering and very well done. If you don't order passs ahead of time, there is a table sitting outside in front of the temporary Visitor Center at 90 West Street where they give some non reserved tickets away each day. We showed up at 4:00 PM and got timed tickets for the 6:00 PM admission time (Free). Visitor's Center information: http://www.911memorial.org/visitor-center . I highly recommemnd it. Also don't forget to visit the Grey Dog for coffee (Website: http://www.thegreydog.com/location-hours/ ) There are three locations, each with great food! For beer, head over to Pier 59 and the Chelsea Brewing Company (Website: http://www.chelseabrewingco.com/rest.htm ). The location is stunning with a two-story glass wall overlooking the Hudson River and 100 outdoor seats.
Mike Summers - March 2013:
Visited New York for a long weekend. We headed back to the South Street Seaport (Websites: http://www.southstreetseaport.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Street_Seaport ) area and were surprised to see the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy was still quite evident. This historic pedestrian district in lower Manhattan has unparalleled views of the Brooklyn Bridge. The best place for pizza in New York has to be the nearly 80 year old Patsy's Pizza (Website: http://thepatsyspizza.com/ ) in east or Spanish Harlem. If you want live music, try Le Poisson Rouge (Website: http://www.lepoissonrouge.com/ ) in the west Village at 158 Bleecker Street. For a different experience, try sitting in the lobby of the Ace Hotel between Broadway and Fifth Avenue on 29th Street (Website: http://www.acehotel.com/newyork ). The place is like an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel - not in terms of the decade, because this isn't quite the 20s, but more in the overly embellished-ness of this place, the superficial-but-not-superficial niceness of the bartenders and baristas, and the warm anonymity you feel sitting here surrounded by warm colors and soft light. It's a bar crowd by night and a coffee house in the morning. We are going to consider staying here the next time that we're in town. Another nice bar is the Scratcher Café at 209 E. 5th Street (not Avenue) in the Bowery District. We enjoyed the Happy Hour which is on Mondays through Saturdays from 4pm-8pm with $2 off drafts and well drinks and Sundays 4pm-7pm with $2 off drafts and well drinks. For a quick fix, head to the Magnolia Bakery (Four locations - Website: http://www.magnoliabakery.com/ ) for a memorable sugar high (It was featured in HBO's Sex in the City). Try visiting Rockefeller Center and being seen on the Today Show. In addition you can take an NBC tour and see the set of Saturday Night Live (Websites: http://www.rockefellercenter.com/ and
http://www.nbcstudiotour.com/ ). We found a nice roof-top bar, which is located at the 6 Columbus Hotel (Website:
http://www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/nyc/6-columbus ). The hotel is at 6 Columbus Circle (aka 308 West 58th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenue)). The rooftop bar is called Above 6. Above 6 is located at the top of 6 Columbus Hotel. It features a retractable roof, which allows patrons to imbibe in any weather. The sky-high perch makes an ideal setting for casual après, including work cocktails, private sunset events, and socializing between sight‐seeing excursions. Hours are Monday-Saturday 5pm-Midnight.
Finally, pay a visit to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Some really neat and really weird pieces of art can be seen (Website: http://www.moma.org/ ).
Mike Summers - May 2013:
For this trip to the city, we visited the Greenwich Village area (Websites: http://www.nycgv.com/ or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_Village ). Walking along Bleecker Street in the late afternoon through late night takes you along many interesting establishments. We visited the Art Bar at 52 8th Avenue. They have an inexpensive Happy Hour. You can sit in front near the bar, or pass behind the black curtain along the back wall and sit in some overstuffed sofas in the back room (Website: http://www.artbar.com/ ) . Great atmosphere. Our next stop was the Corner Bistro (Website: http://cornerbistrony.com/ ) at the corner of Jane and W 4th St. Grab a McSorley Dark Ale and a hamburger (cash-only here!). Our next stop was the Cubbyhole (Website: http://www.cubbyholebar.com/Cubbyhole/Home.html ) at 211 12th St., which is the best lesbian bar that I've ever visited. They have a good happy hour, but this is another cash-only place. We met a lot of friendly women on our visit. Heading east we stopped at the Spotted Pig at 314 W 11th Street (Website: http://thespottedpig.com/ ). We sat at the downstairs bar, but there is a second bar upstairs. They have a unique bar menu with some hard-to-find items. The Bronx Ale was very good. For a late-night snack, we stopped at Amy's Bread at 250 Bleecker Street at Leroy St. for some yummy black olive bread (Website: http://www.amysbread.com/ ). Around the corner at 7 Carmine Street is Joe's Pizza (Website;
http://joespizzanyc.com/ ). There are hundreds of other establishments in the area. No secret bar in the city is as renowned as PDT.
An acronym for Please Don't Tell, this East Village legend is accessed via a phone booth in a hot dog joint called Crif Dogs (Website: http://www.crifdogs.com/about ). More: http://nymag.com/listings/bar/pdt/
Visit the Village and post your own experiences!
Enjoy!
Mike Summers - August 2014:
Mark Roemer and I decided to go to New York to watch the US Open Tennis Tournament that is annually held in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York (Websites: http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/flushing-meadows-corona-park and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flushing,_Queens and
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrSbmpdNQlUttEAez1XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0YnIwbHE4BHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkA1NNRTYxMl8x?_adv_prop=image&fr=mcsaoffblock&va=flushing+meadows ). We took the Frontier redeye to LaGuardia. Before leaving we booked a hotel on Hotwire. It ended up being the Plaza LaGuardia (Website: http://www.laguardiaplazahotel.com/ ), which is close to LaGuardia Airport and has a free shuttle. Since we arrived at 6:30 AM from our redeye flight, we called the hotel to have the shuttle pick us up on the baggage claim level, island two. The driver was great. He informed us that the Plaza provides free shuttle service to the US Open. The desk allowed us to check in at 7:00 AM. We were also told that the hotel restaurant discounts your meal by 20% when you show your airline badge. We bought our US Open day pass tickets online before leaving Denver (Website: http://www.ticketexchangebyticketmaster.com/USTA/us-open-tennis-tickets/?Keyword=us+open+ticket+exchange&GCID=1460&keyword=us%20open%20ticket%20exchange ). A Session Pass was $63.00. We left the Plaza at 9:00 AM on the free shuttle to go watch some practice sessions (US Open Tennis Website: http://www.usopen.org/index.html ). Matches began at 11:00 AM. Note that they do not allow backpacks onto the grounds. We had a great time watching many of the 'name' players practicing. We also watched parts of a men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles matches. Later we decided to walk over to Citi Field and watch an evening Mets game (More information: http://queens.about.com/od/thingtodo/ss/7-subway-tour_8.htm ). Rather than walking back to the Plaza Hotel Shuttle Pick-up spot, we took the Q48 MTA Bus back to the Plaza (MTA Information:
http://rideschedules.com/schedule.html?schedule=17383 ). The next morning we took the hotel shuttle to the terminal and flew back to Denver. It was a great and fun trip. The US Open Tennis Tournament is a lot of fun! Give it a try!
Rus DeWitt - December 2014
Recently traveled JetBlue to JFK and learned out Frontier badges earn a 20% disount or food and items at the terminal. During thid trip we toured Lincoln Center, the concert hall for the Met Opera and the NY Phil. Great tours also tour of Carnegie Hall is worthwhile. See the holiday deorations and lights along 5th avenue. Also learned iy you are over 65 take your Medcaid card and by showing it to the personworking in the office at most subway stops you can get senior fares for 1/2 price.
Mike Summers - May 2015
It was time for my wife and I to head back to New York for a long weekend. We stayed at the Lexington Hotel that we booked through Hotwire at $139.00 per night + taxes. Great location in the mid east side at Lexington Avenue and 48th Street. It was three blocks from Grand Central Station and from the Lexington and 51st Street Stop on the E Train from LaGuardia. If you haven't been to New York and want to take the Subway to the city (by far the cheapest option -- read my March 2011 blog above for information (MTA Subway Map: http://www.nysubway.com/map/ )). You should also download the NYC Subway app to your cellphone for easy, quick references during your stay. The Lexington is a comfortable hotel (Website:
http://www.lexingtonhotelnyc.com/ ). Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe lived here when the got married. While filming the Seven Year Itch, the footage of Monroe's dress billowing over a subway grate was shot on location outside the Trans-Lux 52nd Street Theater, then located at 586 Lexington Avenue near where they lived. On this trip we visited the newly opened Whitney Museum in the Village/Meatpacking District on the lower west side(Websites: http://whitney.org/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Museum_of_American_Art ). The Museum's new location is adjacent to the High Line Park which is built on abandoned railroad tracks three stories above street level (High Line Websites: http://www.thehighline.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Line_(New_York_City) ). We visited several nice, somewhat historical bars during our stay. The oldest bar in New York is the Fraunces Tavern (www.frauncestavern.com), on Pearl Street in lower Manhattan; it is housed in a building first erected as a residence in 1719. In 1762, Samuel Fraunces, the property’s third owner, converted it into a tavern. The tavern hosted a farewell dinner in 1783 for George Washington as he said farewell to his Continental Army officers. The bar’s current incarnation features several rooms, including an Irish whiskey bar and a restaurant. The second oldest bar is the Ear Inn (www.earinn.com) on Spring Street in lower Manhattan in the Village opened for business in 1817 as a tavern. It is located inside the James Brown House (www.jamesbrownhouse.com), which was built in 1812 and is one of the few current examples of Federal architecture in New York City. The bar serves food and occasionally features live entertainment. The third oldest is the
Bridge Café (www.bridgecafenyc.com) which was originally a home to a brothel, and the property, built in 1794, was converted into a bar in 1847. The Café is located in the South Street Seaport at the tip of Manhattan just south of the Brooklyn Bridge. Rumored to be haunted by a female ghost, this nautical-themed restaurant/bar has a full gourmet menu and a wide selection of wine, scotch and beer. It was closed due to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy when we visited. McSorley’s Ale House (www.mcsorleysnewyork.com) at number four has served its signature light and dark ale since 1854. The bar was an old boys club until 1970, when a court order allowed females to enter the establishment for the first time. McSorley’s patrons read like a Who’s Who of 20th century icons, including Babe Ruth, Teddy Roosevelt and John Lennon. It's a cash only establishment. And at number five is
Pete’s Tavern (www.petestavern.com), in the Gramercy neighborhood, opened in 1864. Author O. Henry wrote his famous story "The Gift of the Magi" here at a booth set against the red brick wall. They serve good food for lunch or dinner. The wide selections of brews include Pete’s own 1864 ale. Nearby Pete's is the Gramercy park Neighborhood (Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramercy_Park ) and Theodore Roosevelt's Birthplace Museum (Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt_Birthplace_National_Historic_Site ). From this area head to Little Italy (Website:
http://www.littleitalynyc.com/ ), which is home to the oldest Pizzeria in the US, Lombardi's. American pizza in general, and New York in particular, owes a lot to Lombardi's Pizza, first opened in 1905 in Little Italy, Manhattan. Gennaro Lombardi was granted the first mercantile license to sell pizza in New York. Lombardi's (Website: http://firstpizza.com/ ) is credited with the revolutionary use of the coal oven, and set the standard for selling pizza by the pie rather than the slice. Just around the corner is the third oldest pizzeria in the US, John's (Website: http://www.johnsbrickovenpizza.com/ ) . John Sasso, an immigrant from Naples and another pizza maker for Lombardi's on Spring Street, sprang for his own coal-oven pizza place in 1929. John's became a pizza mecca in its own right, though it kept the tradition of no slices, and it's still cash only. John's stayed open through the Great Depression, and hasn't slowed since. That security comes from a combination of factors: reputation, star power (Danny Devito and Vanilla Ice are just two of the celebrities with their pictures on the wall), good prices (You and I come here and can eat and drink for less than $20.00) and a classic pie that can only come from a well-made 800-degree brick oven. The oldest and best steakhouse in the country is Keens (Website:
http://www.keens.com/ ) and their famous muttonchops. Check the website before going to get a feel for prices! Enjoy NYC!
Mike Summers - April 2017:
We returned to New York after a year absence. LaGuardia is under construction, and the bus system is a bit different. When I talked to a police officer he said that the public transportation process seems to change every month. So, double-check the MTA Website regarding LaGuardia before landing there (Website: http://laguardiaairport.com/getting-to-from/by-public-transit/ ). Your first stop is to find the MTA Metrocard Vending Machine. We were staying four days. For $33.00, we got the seven-day unlimited pass, which is a great deal. We used our debit card, but you can use cash. From there we walked over to the Q70 bus stop, which was one island out from the Departure Level sidewalk near the B Gates exterior door (Q70 Website:
http://web.mta.info/mta/planning/sbs/Q70SBS.html ). Once you arrive on that island where M60, Q47, Q48, Q72, and your Q70 buses pick-up passengers, look for about four machines where you insert your newly purchased Metrocard. The machine will print a receipt and return your Metrocard. Hold up the receipt for the driver when you board the bus. You'll take the bus to the Jackson Heights subway station. Depending on your hotel location, you'll use your Metrocard to enter the subway station. We like to stay at hotels along Midtown East. This trip we stayed at the Marriott Midtown East on Lexington Avenue. We used Hotwire about two weeks before our trip to book it at $129.00 per night (Marriott Midtown East Website:
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nycea-new-york-marriott-east-side/ ) at 525 Lexington Avenue at 49th Street. To get there we took the E train from Jackson Heights Station to 51st Street Station and walked two blocks to our hotel (MTA Subway Map: http://web.mta.info/maps/submap.html ). For dinner we went to Draught 55 about 9 blocks from our hotel (Draught 55 Website: http://www.draught55.com/ ). Try to get a table at the back bar, which is under an all-weather glass awning. Great Beer choices, nice wine choices, and good food (especially the variety of French fries) are found here. The noise level can be a bit high, but it's a popular place. After dinner we rode the 6 Train Subway to the upper east side to the 86th Street Station (and Lexington Ave). We walked three blocks to Brandy's Piano Bar (Website: http://brandyspianobar.com/ ). Great music, happy locals, no cover, and an intimate setting await you. You have to buy two drinks per set. We were asked how we found this place because "tourists don't know about this gem". We started talking to a local couple who invited us to their flat for wine afterwards. We accepted, and we had a great time. Near our hotel, we had two great breakfast options and we chose both on different mornings. The Morning Star Café was a four block walk on Second Avenue and 50th Street (Website: http://morningstaronsecond.com/ ). It had the feel of a nice Midwestern diner. Solid food, good coffee, and friendly service made this a great choice. On our third morning we tried a different Restaurant that was right across the street from the Morning Star Café called The Smith. The Smith (Website: http://thesmithrestaurant.com/location/midtown/ ) is a bit more expensive, but we went for Sunday brunch and completely enjoyed it. Breakfast is a relatively cheap meal in NYC. As an aside, the Horny Ram located near the Morning Star Café is a nice bar that also serves Sunday brunch (Horny Ram Yelp Website: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-horny-ram-new-york-2 ) and has a nice upstairs deck that looks out on Second Avenue. We went for late-night drinks one evening. As for the rest of the trip, we visited many of our hold haunts mentioned above in March 2011, March 2013, May 2013, and May 2015. We also took a trip into Brooklyn. We tried two restaurants. Grimaldi's Pizza is an iconic Brooklyn locale (cash only) located underneath the Brooklyn Bridge at 1 Front Street (Website: http://www.grimaldis-pizza.com/home ). It's a perfect stop after walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Our second Brooklyn Restaurant was Peter Lugar Steakhouse. They accept cash & debit cards, but not credit cards (Website:
https://peterluger.com/ ) and (Lunch Menu: https://peterluger.com/menu/ ). On this trip we visited the 9-11 Memorial and Museum (Website: https://www.911memorial.org/ ). The Museum is very well done. I'd recommend setting aside 2 to 3 hours to visit. New York City is near the top of my list of cities to visit and keep revisiting. When it's time to fly home, Take the Subway to the Jackson heights Station, look for the Q70 bus platform, insert your Metrocard in one of the machines at the bus platform to print your receipt for the driver, and take the bus back to LaGuardia. Don't be intimidated by public transportation in NYC, it's the easiest and cheapest method to move around in the city.
Enjoy!
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